Herman Cain Profile

With a three-decade track record of smart business decisions and corporate executive excellence, Herman Cain is a shining example of the American Dream. Growing up in a working class African-American family during the segregation era in the Deep South, Cain graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in mathematics in 1967 and went on to earn a Master’s in Computer Science from Purdue University while working full-time designing fire-control systems for the U.S. Navy.

Cain entered the business world first as a computer analyst for Coca-Cola and then at Pillsbury, where he soon became regional vice-president. Rather than sit comfortably in a corner office, Cain dove into the trenches of Pillsbury’s lower performing Burger King restaurants, where he worked side by side with the employees grilling burgers and fostering a positive environment that rose sales within three months.

Shortly afterwards, he attained national respect in the business world when he took charge of the nearly bankrupt Godfather’s Pizza and turned it into a profitable company within 14 months. This attention prompted his election as CEO of the National Restaurant Association and later as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Collaborating with businesses and government on a national level, Cain quickly became familiar the workings of U.S. politics.

After a long successful career and notable presidential campaign, Cain continues to fight to make America a better place through his work in the media, constantly motivated by the drive to give his grandchildren the best future possible. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, writes a weekly on-line column for Newsmax, and serves as a regular contributor to the Fox News Channel.

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Herman Cain grew up in Atlanta, Georgia with loving parents and little else. His father worked three jobs—as a janitor, a barber and a chauffeur—and his mother was a domestic worker. Even though these jobs required hard work and little glamour, his parents knew this life was better than the dirt farms upon which they grew up. They also knew that this hard work was the key to achieving their American Dreams.

Cain’s parents had two dreams. First, they wanted to own their own house. Secondly, they wanted both of their children to graduate from college. During the segregation era in the Deep South, these aspirations might have seemed lofty, but they knew that if they kept their faith in God, faith in themselves and faith in the greatest country on the Earth, they could achieve.

The first dream was realized in a modest brick house on Albert Street in Atlanta, Georgia. After years of saving from his many jobs, Herman’s father surprised the whole family, even his wife, by purchasing a home for their family. The second dream was realized when Cain graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in mathematics in 1967. His brother, Thurman, would go on to graduate from Morris Brown College.

Inspired by the work ethic and character of his parents, Cain continued his education by earning his Master’s degree in computer science from Purdue University while working full-time developing fire control systems for ships and fighter planes for the Department of the Navy. Though Cain enjoyed using his talents as a civilian employee for the Navy, he gravitated towards the culture of business.

Cain returned to his home of Atlanta to begin working as a computer systems analyst for the Coca-Cola Company. After considerable success at Coca-Cola, he moved to the Pillsbury Company. Within a short period of time, Cain rose to position of vice president. Although the comforts of a corner office on the 31st floor of a majestic corporate building seemed satisfying, Cain knew that he needed a challenge.

He became the regional vice president of Pillsbury’s Burger King division. This meant starting from the “ground up,” dodging grease fires and broiling hamburgers. Cain was assigned to lead a low performing region of 450 of their restaurants. Within three years, it became the best performing region in the company.

Energized by overcoming the many obstacles of his job at Burger King, Cain took on the biggest challenge of his career. He accepted the call to become the president and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, a company that was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. In just 14 months, Cain returned Godfather’s to profitability and he led his management team to a buyout of the company.

His professional successes garnered the respect and admiration of industry peers who named him the president of the National Restaurant Association. Under Cain’s administration, the group grew significantly and began to lobby for the interests of America’s restaurateurs and small business owners.

In 1994, as head of the National Restaurant Association, he had the opportunity to speak with President Clinton during a nationally televised town hall meeting. Here, Cain challenged the President regarding the impact on businesses if his health care overhaul proposal were passed. President Clinton attempted to assure him and the millions of viewers watching at home that his legislation would not harm American business owners and their employees.

Cain was skeptical. “Quite honestly Mr. President, your calculations are incorrect,” he said. “In the competitive marketplace, it simply doesn’t work that way.” His words echoed across America, and Newsweek named Cain the primary saboteur of Hillarycare.

Through these and other appearances on behalf of the National Restaurant Association, Cain began working with business leaders across all sectors of the American economy. This led to his acceptance of a position on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and he was subsequently elected their chairman. In this role, he analyzed economic conditions in the region and notified the Federal Reserve of how their policies should respond.

After coming in an impressive 2nd in his 2004 bid for the United States Senate in Georgia, Cain soon became the host of his own radio talk show, The Herman Cain Show, on Atlanta’s WSB 750 AM/ 95.5 FM.

Today, as a former Republican candidate for the Presidency, and as the CEO of the newly formed Cain’s Solutions Revolution, he is still a very active and outspoken voice for conservative issues. He serves as a regular contributor on several broadcast networks and as a keynote speaker at conferences and events around the nation.

Despite the many professional commitments of his life, Cain continues to enjoy most the time spent with family and friends. As his children got married and had their own children, he knew that he had an extraordinary obligation to do what he could to make this a safe and prosperous nation for them. The paramount joys in his life are his wife, Gloria, his children and his four grandchildren, the youngest of which was born on New Year’s Day.

Herman Cain Speaking Videos

Herman Cain Keynote Speech

Herman Cain draws upon the words of the founding fathers to diagnose the problems the U.S. faces today and the responsibility we the American people have to meet those challenges. “Most people stop at ‘life, liberty, and independence;’ they think that’s the whole Declaration of Independence,” Cain observes.

“Keep reading,” he urges. “Where it says: ‘If any form of government becomes destructive of those ideals, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.’ We’ve got some altering and abolishing to do! We have the moral authority to take back our nation, because the American Dream is under attack and it is up to us to take it back.”

Herman Cain: DPC Nuts & Bolts Keynote

Herman Cain - CPLI Award Keynote Address

Herman Cain Keynote Speech

Herman Cain: DPC Nuts & Bolts Keynote

Herman Cain - CPLI Award Keynote Address

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Herman Cain's Speech Descriptions

Noted for his down-to-earth personality and sense of humor, Herman Cain simplifies Washington politics and economics, empowering ordinary people to take charge of their lives and government on both a local and national level.

Offering presentations in leadership, political action, and the socio-economic state of the U.S., the former presidential candidate shares the common sense business tactics he used to convert failing companies into flourishing enterprises and how these same tactics can be applied in the workplace or our government.

A man from humble beginnings who has always stayed true to his values, Cain demonstrates that with hard work and commitment, anyone in the U.S. can succeed as he has.

Leadership is Common Sense: Lessons from a Lifetime of Success
Leading an organization and removing the obstacles that keep people from being successful is a fulfilling experience—but sometimes leadership is not pretty. A passionate business evangelist who has made tough choices in the pursuit of growing his organization, Herman Cain delivers a powerful, back-to-basics message on what leaders must do to achieve their desired results including the critical steps they must take to turn failing situations into successes. Using his own uplifting story of coming from humble beginnings to achieving success at the highest levels of corporate America, Cain highlights the importance of inspiring extraordinary achievement in others—and that like him, anyone can still rise to the top of any organization and in any field.

Keeping the American Dream Alive: The Case for Political and Economic Freedom
As Washington throws more money—and fewer good solutions—at long standing social and economic problems, every day American’s are quickly becoming impatient with a government that is not working for them. In a stirring presentation that serves as a wake-up call—to both politicians in Washington and those who hold them accountable at the voting booth—Cain shows how the government needs to work on the right problems to achieve the right results for issues that are vital to America′s future. A new voice for common sense, Cain speaks passionately on strengthening national security, ending tsunami spending, reducing the corporate tax to create more jobs and above all, defending the Constitution and the rights that it guarantees to every American. A life-long political activist, Cain shows others how to get involved in holding the government accountable to create the right change for the United States.

Success is a Journey

The inspirational story of one man. Herman Cain tells of a humble beginning and his subsequent rise to achieve the American dream in such an uplifting way that audiences are moved by his example. Touching on the importance of family, spirituality and perseverance, Herman Cain uses his gifts of captivating speech and humor to paint so vivid a portrait of achievement that his audiences will absolutely believe that their American dream is still attainable! Herman Cain has lived the message that "Success is a Journey..." and not a destination! - and his message of hope and determination prevails.